Marfa (music)

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title: "Marfa (music)" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["culture-of-hyderabad,-india", "arabic-music", "classical-and-art-music-traditions", "muhajir-culture", "music-of-india", "indian-styles-of-music"] description: "Form of Indian celebratory music" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marfa_(music)" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Form of Indian celebratory music ::

Marfa is a form of celebratory rhythmic music and dance among the Hyderabadi Muslims in the Deccan region adapted from Afro-Arab music of Hadhramawt in Yemen. It is played at a high tempo using instruments such as marfa, daff, dhol, sticks, steel pots and wooden strips called thapi. The chorus effects and vocal meter are set according to beats.

It was introduced during 18th century in Hyderabad State by the East African Siddi community, who used to serve as cavalry guards in Asaf Jahi Nizams' irregular army. The Asaf Jahi Nizams patronized marfa music and it was performed during official celebrations and ceremonies as they also claimed Arab ancestry from the first Caliph Abu Bakr Siddique through the Bayafandi Clan of Asir province in Arabia. It became popular in India, particularly in Hyderabad state. It was brought there by the diaspora of Siddis and Hadhramis.

The associated marfa dance is typically performed with janbiya daggers and/or talwars (swords) and latts (canes), and it is likely to have been derived from the Bar'a () dance of Yemen.

Origin

Marfa is a Yemeni Arabic word used for the kettledrum. Due to the Hadhrami people's influence on the culture of the Ethiopian Siddis, the word marfa became a symbol of the music played using the kettledrum. Kettledrums are replaced with Handi kettledrums in the Siddi form of marfa music played in Hyderabad, India.

Forms

Marfa music is created from three different musical rhythmic beats also called teen maar taal. A typical dance involves jiggling with swords and sticks based on the music's tempo and rhythm. The music is performed only by men, whereas dances and jiggling are common among both men and women. Popular marfa rhythms include:

• sewariar
• bamb sheklahar
• ya abu bakar-ya abu salahar
• salaam almukallahar
• jumbali zimbaliar
• benazeer benazeerar
• ahlan wasahlanar

Popularity

Playing marfa has become popular in Hyderabad and it is considered a traditional sign of welcome. Since 1951, it is performed officially by the government of India as part of the annual celebration on the occasions of Independence Day and Republic Day at Red Fort, New Delhi, India. It is also played at Hyderabadi Muslim weddings, with great fervour.

References

References

1. (10 July 2011). "'Marfa' band of the Siddis 'losing' its beat". The Hindu.
2. Ababu Minda Yimene. (2004). "An African Indian community in Hyderabad: Siddi identity, its maintenance and Change". Greenwood.
3. (23 October 2008). "It's "teen maar" for marriages, festivals". [[The Hindu]].
4. Michael S. Kinnear. (1994). "The Gramaphone Company's first Indian recordings, 1899-1908". Popular Prakashan.
5. [http://www.al-bab.com/bys/articles/bakewell95.htm British-Yemeni Society: Traditional music in the Yemen] {{webarchive. link. (2011-07-16)
6. "Yemen Music {{!}} Enjoy The Poetry In Yemeni Music".
7. (1981). "Census of India : Andhra Pradesh". India. Director of Census Operations, Andhra Pradesh.
8. [http://www.natelangana.com/index.php Welcome to the Telangana] {{webarchive. link. (2012-03-30)
9. (1 December 2010). "US Consul General floored by Arabi daf". [[The Hindu]].
10. (29 March 2009). "Spiritual leader of Dawoodi Bohras in city". [[The Hindu]].
11. (13 April 2010). "Sania-Shoaib-enters-Mirza-residence-hand-in-hand". [[The Hindu]].
12. (2012-10-26). "From the era of the Nizams 'Arabi marfa' continues to be a hit even now". The Hindu.

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